The Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park opens a room about the skies of Sierra Morena

Topics Hornachuelos Posadas

The Huerta del Rey visitor centre will soon open a space that recreates the night skies of Sierra Morena, declared a Starlight Reserve. The park, with almost 60,000 hectares, is home to the second largest population of black vultures in Andalusia.

Francisco CG · Published on October 11, 2026 at 22:29

Un embalse de agua azul serpentea entre montañas cubiertas de vegetación verde bajo un cielo con nubes. — Photo: Junta de Andalucía · Portavoz

The Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park, spread across the municipalities of Hornachuelos, Villaviciosa de Córdoba, Almodóvar del Río, Posadas and Córdoba, will soon have a new installation at the Huerta del Rey visitor centre. It will be called 'La Noche: Cielos de Sierra Morena' and will recreate in a room the night skies that can be seen in this setting, according to the Regional Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.

A park of almost 60,000 hectares

The protected area, part of the Andalusian Network of Protected Natural Areas, covers almost 60,000 hectares and forms part of the Dehesas de Sierra Morena Biosphere Reserve together with the Sierra Morena de Sevilla and Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche natural parks. Sierra Morena is declared a Starlight Reserve for being the largest protected area in the world for stargazing. The park is home to the second largest population of black vultures in Andalusia, behind only the Sierra Pelada y Rivera del Aserrador Nature Area in Huelva. According to the latest available census, from 2020, the park and its area of influence counted 92 pairs of these birds. The area is included in the Andalusian Inventory of Protected Natural Areas as a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA).

Trails and visits

The routes along the park's six trails can be done freely or through guided visits organised by active tourism companies. The Huerta del Rey visitor centre, which also has a kiosk-restaurant, is the starting point for several of these trails. Two other recreational areas, Fuente del Valle and Fuente del Conejo, and the Águila and Huerta del Rey viewpoints complete the offer. Among the activities held in the last year are the Orquideoflora sessions in spring, the mycological days, the observation of the full moon and the starry skies, an approach to the deer rut, a workshop on photographing birds of prey at night and a botanical trail. One of the most popular initiatives is the solar boat trip on the Bembézar reservoir.

Orchids and cycle tourism

Almost 20 different species have been identified on the Orquídeas de las Herrerías trail and a signposting process is under way to launch interpretive routes between January and June. The aim, according to the park's director-conservator, Jorge Paniagua, is to move towards "more specialised tourism". The park is also part of a cycle tourism route that crosses the entire Biosphere Reserve, from Encinasola (Huelva) to Posadas.

To visit the park

Those who want to explore the trails can do so on their own or through the guided visits of the active tourism companies operating in the area. The Huerta del Rey visitor centre provides information on the options available to enjoy the park.